Lacing-hook.



110.761,100. y PATENTBD MAY 01,1904.

. 0. w. PRENTIGB. 1

LAGING HOOK.

APPLIUATIONHLBD D110. 21. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

WITNE'SsE-S. Y

UNITED STATES Patented May 31, 1904.

GEORGE W. PREN'IIOE, OE PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

LAClNG-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,100, dated May 31, 1904;

Application -led December Z1, 1903. Serial No. 185,990. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. PREN'IICE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lacing-Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to lacing-hooks or lacing-loops; and it consists, essentially, of a lacing-hook having a iat base or table provided with attaching-prongs capable of being'bent and a hook or arch portion integral with and extending from the upper side of the table, the outer or free end of the hook being bent and arranged with respect to the base and forming a protected passage or guide for the insertion or introduction of a shoe-lace, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Lacing-hooks are usually provided with an eyeleted shank, the hook portion proper above the shank being open and unprotected, whereby when in use itis liable to abrade the contiguous part of the hem of the skirt or garment of the wearer.

rlhe object I have in View in my present invention is to produce alacing-hook devoid of the disadvantages or objections inherent in lacing-hooks heretofore devised. 'Io that end the improved lacing-hook is made of thin sheet metal, thus reducing the cost. It is lighter and stronger and capable of being readily and quickly laced and effectually prevents the lace from becoming accidentally detached.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure l is a front elevation, in enlarged scale, of my improved lacing-hook. Fig. 2 is a corresponding side view. Fig. 3 is a plan view, and Eig. 4 is a front view showing the device in a slightly-modified form.

As before stated, my improved lacing-hook a is formed from a blank cut from suitable sheet-metal stock. It has a Hat base or table t, from which, as drawn, depend -three sharpened attaching-prongs, one, p, being located at the front, the others, p p', being oppositely disposed at the rear part of the table. The hook member b is integral with the base,

its front or free end b2 being bent downwardly and inwardly andtforming an opening or passage e for the insertion of a shoe-lace. The hook portion may be slightly resilient or yielding, so as to automatically close the passage after the lace has been drawn therethrough.

In attaching the lacing-hook a to a shoe or other pliable material the several prongs are forced through it and clenched thereunder by means of a suitable tool or implement in a well-known manner. When thus affixed to the shoe, a shoe-lace may be readily inserted through the converging or flaring passage c into the eye c of the hook. The upper portion of the hook at the center may be enlarged and convex-shaped, as indicated at b. The passage-way e, leading to the eye of the hook, may be further guarded or protected by making a short upwardly-extending bend or offset p2 in the front prong p, substantially as Shown in Fig. 4.

A lacing-hook embodying my improvement -is adapted to readily receive a shoe-lace therein, but is not adapted to as readily permit of its withdrawal through the passage-way e. In fact, the lace need not be detached from the hooks in unlacing the shoe.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent- As an improved article of manufacture, the one-piece sheet-metal lacing-hook a herein described, the same consisting of a small fiat base or table a short tongue or extension bent upwardly from the rear end of said base to form a hook the free end b2 of the latter being inturned and lying adjacent the front end of the base and forming an open passage e between them, and suitably-disposed attaching prongs, p, p', p', integral with and depending from said base, 'substantially as shown and described.

Signed at Providence, Rhode Island, this 15th day of December, 1903.

GEO. W. PRENTIOE.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. REMINGTON, CALVIN H. BROWN 

